Number Prefixes

Yottabytes Are a Lotta Bytes

By Stephen Beck

Now that kilo-, mega- and even gigabytes of computer memory look like small beer, and computer clock speeds even in nanoseconds begin to feel pokey, it1s time to learn the next set of exponential prefixes destined to enter the modern vocabulary. Brace yourself for the coming world of computers with yottabyte memories and zeptosecond clock speeds (and Government deficits measured in petabucks).

Really Big Numbers

PREFIX

POWERof 10

UNITS

NUMBER

kilo-

3

thousands

1,000

mega-

6

millions

1,000,000

giga-

9

billions

1,000,000,000

tera-

12

trillions

1,000,000,000,000

peta-

15

quadrillions

1,000,000,000,000,000

exa-

18

quintillions

1,000,000,000,000,000,000

zetta-

21

sextillions

1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

yotta-

24

septillions

1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

How long would it take someone to download a one- yottabyte file using a 28.8 baud modem? 11 trillion years.